South Side Innovation Center to receive funding, training for entrepreneurs
UPDATED: Dec. 20 at 12:24 a.m.
Syracuse University’s South Side Innovation Center will receive funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to launch its pilot program aiming to help aspiring entrepreneurs start businesses in the clean energy sector.
The program is targeted toward expanding the entrepreneur skills of individuals residing in neighborhoods hard-hit by economic shutdown. It offers training in computer and financial literacy as well as energy efficient techniques and standards, said Dayle Zatlin, assistant director of communications at NYSERDA.
NYSERDA will support the training by providing $24,000 in funding, according to a Dec. 13 press release. At least 10 individuals are expected to be trained during the next six months. The program will act as a stepping-stone to prepare its participants for more technical resident programs at SSIC, such as the WISE Women’s Business Center and the South Side Innovation Center Academy, Zatlin said.
Zatlin said the SSIC is special because it already launches many entrepreneurship programs. Along with SU, the program’s collaborators include Associated Builders and Contractors, the Upstate New York chapter of National Association of Minority Contractors and Onondaga Community College’s energy efficiency training and certification program.
‘The program’s got so many collaborators, and so it does pull many elements of the community together in a way that will benefit participants and, therefore, benefit the region,’ Zatlin said.
The SSIC is one of seven worker-ready contractors that agreed to take part in a program in increased energy efficiency.
‘They provided a proposal saying they wanted to do this kind of training to support the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency,’ Zatlin said. ‘We look at entrepreneurial education as a way to help people start their own local programs and thought this program would be a great way to encourage them to do that.’
Applicants for the program will be determined based on need as well as business and construction skills, for basic construction skills are necessary to do well in energy efficient fields, Zatlin said.
‘We hope the program will continue to grow and continue,’ said Bob Hertz, director of the SSIC. ‘So that even those who participate and end up not wanting to be entrepreneurs can be good employees for the right companies.’
Published on December 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Contact Marwa: meltagou@syr.edu | @marwaeltagouri
